I’d like to share something with you that came to me from an innkeeper in Bar Harbor:
The government shutdown has closed the Park Loop Road and all concessions in Acadia National Park including Jordan Pond House. However, the hiking trails and carriage roads are still open to hike/walk and many of the trail heads are located on state roads or within easy walking distance of the gates. You can also bike the Park Loop Road free of traffic. There are also many miles of scenic driving and beaches located on the island that are not part of the Park Loop Road. Please don’t panic and come and support Bar Harbor and MDI. The boat tours and buses are all still open for business.
Key points:
• Hiking trails and carriage roads remain open
• Park Loop Road, although closed to cars, is accessible for bicyclists: What a glorious time of year to pedal the road without traffic
• Boat tours, departing from Bar Harbor, Southwest Harbor, and Northeast Harbor, provide another way to view the park, see its highlights, and learn more about the history and heritage, flora and fauna.
• You can’t drive the Park Loop, but there are miles upon miles of scenic drives on Mount Desert Island.
• The park’s concession stands are closed, but the independently owned shops in the island towns remain open.
• The island’s many museums, including the Abbe in Bar Harbor, the Gilley in SW Harbor, and the Seal Cove Auto Museum, remain open on regularly scheduled days/hours as do local historical society museums.
